Cities are drivers of economic growth & people living cities need to be provided with adequate housing: Vice President

Development must be sustainable; it must protect environment and resources;
Smart cities improve quality of life, provide clean and sustainable environment;
Lays foundation stone for World Trade Center & General Pool Residential Accommodation Colony

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that cities are the drivers of economic growth and all sections of people living in the cities need to be provided with adequate housing and other essential amenities. He was addressing the gathering after laying foundation stone for the World Trade Center at Nauroji Nagar and redevelopment of Netaji Nagar General Pool Residential Accommodation Colony, here today. The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs (I/C), Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President said that it is a matter of pride and satisfaction for him to be a part of the foundation stone laying ceremony of the projects which were conceptualised and took shape when he was the Housing and Urban Affairs Minister.

The Vice President said that besides providing housing to all citizens, there is a need to create good infrastructure to cater to the needs of the burgeoning population. We must also ensure that the development is sustainable by protecting our environment and resources, he added.

The Vice President said that there is a need to build green buildings and promote energy efficient and smart mobility solutions for optimum utilization of scarce resources and spaces. There is also a need to promote the concept of green and energy efficient buildings in a big way and create greater awareness among the citizens, he added.

The Vice President said that the projects initiated today are aimed at providing better quality of life to citizens and spur economic growth. Cities are the drivers of economic growth and all sections of people living in the cities need to be provided with adequate housing and other essential amenities, he added.

Saying that India is witnessing urban renaissance following the launch of Smart Cities Mission, the Vice President said that apart from improving quality of life, Smart Cities also seek to provide clean and sustainable environment.

Following is the text of Vice President’s address:

“I am very happy to be here today to lay the foundation stone for the World Trade Center at Nauroji Nagar and redevelopment of Netaji Nagar General Pool Residential Accommodation Colony. It is a matter of pride and satisfaction for me to be a part of the foundation stone laying ceremony of the projects which were conceptualised and took shape when I was the Housing and Urban Affairs Minister.

These projects are a part of the project for redevelopment of seven GPRA colonies (Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Mohammedpur, Kasturba Nagar, Sriniwaspuri and Thyagaraj Nagar) being undertaken by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs through NBCC and CPWD.

Sisters and brothers, India is witnessing rapid urbanisation. About 31.7 per cent of the country’s population lived in urban areas in 2011. It is projected that over 50 per cent of the country’s people will be living in cities and towns by 2050. It is projected that the urban population will cross 80 crores by 2050. This means cities and suburbs will undergo significant transformation and there will be lot of pressure on housing.

Besides providing housing to all citizens, we will need more roads, bridges, highways, round-the-clock electricity, adequate water supply, waste disposable systems, office and retail spaces, rapid transportation, airports, sea ports and other infrastructure to cater to the needs of the burgeoning population. The challenges are huge and need to be overcome if we have to sustain rapid economic growth of close to 7 or 7.5 per cent per year on a continuous basis.

At the same time, we must ensure that the development is sustainable by protecting our environment and resources. So, we need to build green buildings and promote energy efficient and smart mobility solutions for optimum utilization of scarce resources and spaces. The planning of the Government is geared towards achieving these objectives and any future urban planning will have to be based on these considerations. There is also a need to promote the concept of green and energy efficient buildings in a big way and create greater awareness among the citizens.

Talking specifically of Delhi in the context of today’s function, it is well known that there is an acute shortage of Government housing and office space in the National Capital Region (NCR). This has created a long list of Government officials waiting for their turn for allotment of a house.

The Master Plan for Delhi (MPD)-2021, encourages redevelopment of old residential areas with a view to utilizing the existing land resources in the most efficient manner to meet the growing demand for built up space. I am happy to inform that during my tenure in the Ministry, we resolved to work towards addressing the issues of government housing along with social infrastructure and mixed land use for optimum utilisation of land and other resources with a visionary approach. Today’s function symbolizes this single-minded devotion and long term planning.

The Government approval for the redevelopment of seven GPRA Colonies in Delhi was accorded on 5th July 2016 at an estimated cost of Rs. 32,835 Crore which includes operation and maintenance cost for 30 years.

NBCC is the implementing agency for Redevelopment of Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar and Netaji Nagar, while CPWD is the implementing agency for Redevelopment of Kasturba Nagar, Thyagraj Nagar, Sriniwaspuri and Mohammadpur.

Redevelopment envisages integration of the infrastructure of the surrounding areas. The Project will be financed through sale of Commercial Built-up Area (BUA). The Project will incorporate smart city features including in-house Solid/Liquid Waste Management facility, Rain Water Harvesting, Solar Energy and Green Building norms.

The World Trade Center in Nauroji Nagar to be developed by NBCC India Limited will be major land mark in the evolving skyline of the city of Delhi. NBCC has obtained the accreditation of “World Trade Center” for this project. The World Trade Center’s Association will stimulate trade and investment opportunities for commercial property developers, economic development agencies, and international businesses that are looking to connect globally and prosper locally. Nauroji Nagar would be developed as a state-of-the-art commercial hub in a plot area of 25 acres with all modern facilities and beautifully designed façade with a pleasing landscape. The project will be built at a cost of Rs. 2,694 crore and will have 12 towers of G+9 structure, apart from another commercial block and school building. It will be constructed as an integrated business hub. It will be constructed on the concept of zero waste. Solid waste / waste water will be treated in-house and reused. The recycled water will be used for horticultural purposes also.

The redevelopment of GPRA colony Netaji Nagar will be another big and significant project of Delhi. This project has been taken up for the redevelopment of one of the old government colonies into residential and general pool office accommodation along with accompanying social infrastructure. When completed, it will have 4,855 dwelling units with 70% open area comprising 90 towers. The project will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 5,466 crore including O&M. It will have zero discharge into the sewerage system and a sewage treatment plant will also be constructed. Treated water will be used for horticulture and other purposes.

Finally, I would like to emphasize that the projects initiated today are aimed at providing better quality of life to citizens and spur economic growth. Cities are the drivers of economic growth and all sections of people living in the cities need to be provided with adequate housing and other essential amenities. In fact, India is witnessing urban renaissance following the launch of Smart Cities Mission, which seeks to transform cities into Centers of economic activities. Apart from improving quality of life, Smart Cities also seek to provide clean and sustainable environment.

I once again take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister, Secretary and all officers of the Ministry and the team of NBCC led by its Managing Director for launching one of the most ambitious and state of the art urban projects in Delhi and offer my best wishes to all of you for its early completion and dedication to the people of Delhi.